


The Stars Threw Down Their Spears

by by_a_whisker, TheGreenFaerie



Series: Wild Things [2]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: BDSM, Blood, Consensual But Not Safe Or Sane, Emotional Manipulation, How Psychopaths Flirt, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Rough Sex, Slow Burn, adorable monsters, but also FEELINGS, consider yourselves warned... my dears!, emotional cruelty, even though they're so bloody hot, fuck they're cute..., if that has to be said, jim moriarty is a tyrannical little shit, like wild animals are cute..., maybe don't take relationship cues from them, mormor, mormor is not for the faint of heart, sebastian moran is a snarky fucker, so much gay sex, super psycho love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-13 16:28:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 17,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29281488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/by_a_whisker/pseuds/by_a_whisker, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGreenFaerie/pseuds/TheGreenFaerie
Summary: A year after the events of Red in Tooth in Claw: Sebastian Moran has been working for Jim Moriarty, taking care of his Boss's every need as his head of security, right hand man and personal plaything... and things are going swimmingly. Except when they're not...Jim has become thoroughly obsessed with The Plan, AKA the Magnum Opus of his criminal career... but Sebastian is beginning to think The Plan might go terribly wrong... and not in a fun way.
Relationships: Sebastian Moran/Jim Moriarty
Series: Wild Things [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2150322
Comments: 15
Kudos: 17





	1. Don't Make Me Say It Twice

Sebastian cursed under his breath when he pushed the penthouse door open too briskly, forgetting the fresh cut in his left side until the movement reminded him – rather painfully.

Well… in his line of work, surprises were bound to happen every now and then - no matter how thorough your recce – and while sometimes they spiced things up, they were rarely pleasant.

This particular one had enabled the target to put up more of a fight than Sebastian would have liked. Not that it had changed the outcome – quite the contrary. Being stabbed resulted in a surge of fury, which added more than a little fuel to his motivation to make a grisly example of the victim, as per Jim’s request.

So now as he arrived home, coming down from the high of the fight and the kill, Sebastian felt the first edge of exhaustion. And a good deal of crankiness besides…

Kicking off his boots he strained his ears to hear any noise in the penthouse, then wandered into the deserted kitchen. Not that he expected dinner to be on the table, but it _would_ be a nice surprise - maybe one of these days?

He snorted at this ludicrous notion. After grabbing a beer from the fridge, cracking it open, and downing half of it, he peeked around the corner into the living room. No Jim. Just his laptop on the sofa.

Even over the course of a year and not for lack of trying, Sebastian had never really managed to reliably establish many rules _of his own_ \- like the somewhat imperative one that Jim should let him know when he took off on his own and to where. Oh, the ongoing negotiations had been heated, vexing, and occasionally violent, but they'd never resulted in an agreement.

Quelling the impulse to scour the flat, Sebastian rifled through the takeaway menus of various restaurants, and pulled the phone from his pocket. Jim being out at least gave him a bit of time to tend to his wound properly and tidy up his appearance.

In case Jim was in, though -

“ _PIZZA_?” Sebastian shouted out into the hallway. “What kind do you want?”

~

Jim stepped out of the shower and began towelling off. His head tilted for a moment and he paused, listening. He didn’t hear a sound, but that didn’t mean anything - that was just what Sebastian was like. Quiet as a ninja.

Or a tiger.

 _Ninja tiger_ , he thought and smiled as he pictured a tiger on its back legs, skilfully manipulating nunchucks.

He finished drying himself and as he went to hang up the towel, he heard Sebastian bellowing about dinner.

His hand hovered over the rack and he shook his head. That was the _other way_ Sebastian was like. One moment, ninja-quiet – and the next, the proverbial bull in a china shop.

Jim slicked his hair back, and wrapped a towel around his waist. Then he sauntered out from the bathroom, and stood overlooking the grandeur of the staircase and entrance hall.

“Must you shout like a provincial fishmonger?” he demanded. “I would have thought the House of Moran would instill better manners... and no, I don’t want _pizza_. We’re not at university, cramming for our chemistry exams.”

Irritation flared up in him. He never had the opportunity for higher learning, and it never ceased to grate. Although being a criminal mastermind was infinitely preferable to being a professor of astrophysics in any multiverse – there was still a part of him that strangely longed for it. It was the only sentimentality he allowed himself – the dream of a life spent in pursuit of pure scientific knowledge.

Sebastian appeared in the foyer, grinning disarmingly. “Oh there you are! What was that about pizza?”

Jim glared at him. “Are you being purposefully difficult? _No pizza_. If we must order in, make it Japanese. Bento box 15, with-“

“Beef teriyaki and avocado rolls,” Sebastian rattled off, and gave a jaunty salute. “I’ll order it now.”

“What the fuck is that?” Jim demanded, staring intently at Sebastian’s shirt. On his side there was a small stain of red growing larger as he looked. “You’re _hurt_? And you didn’t tell me immediately?? Get up here,” he ordered, gripping the handrail.

~

Oh _there_ he was: stepping up to the balustrade like an emperor to address his troops – and without too many clothes on him either.

Sebastian's eyes lit up and inexorably, his annoyance faded. Momentarily, anyway…

Pizza was slighted and oh, they were back to jibes about his background and ancestry too? Fine by him!

“And here I thought you of all people would remember fishmonger is quite an esteemed trade – in some paltry places at least,” he mused while thumbing through his phone's contacts for that Japanese place. When Jim ordered him upstairs, he nodded, making a little hang-on-I-have-to-do-this-first gesture, and raising the phone to his ear. As he waited for someone to pick up, he hummed _Molly Malone_ , only slightly off key.

“ _In Dublin's fair city_

_Where the boys are so pretty_

_I first set my eyes on_ -“

“I said feckin’ get up here!” Jim hissed.

Sebastian raised a finger to shush him, turning away slightly as the call connected.

“Hello there, I'd like to order for delivery a Bento Box 15, with 3 avocado rolls... Yes, that's it – no, wait – and deep-fried pineapple rings...” He rattled off their address and instructions to leave the delivery with the concierge, then, without missing a beat he cut the call and rang _Giovanni's_ to place _his_ order. Because _his_ had been a day that required a fucking pizza at the end if it - not poncy raw fish or bloody Chicken Nagasaki.

After placing his order, he carefully pocketed his phone, very aware how the atmosphere now _tasted_ like ozone. He could feel eyes boring into him, literally raising the tiny hairs on the back of his neck.

Which was nothing compared to _seeing_ those devastatingly dark eyes when he finally looked up and walked towards the stairs. Oh yes, he had brought this on himself. Deliberately. How could he not?

Irate Jim was chilling… breathtaking… and unbearably _hot_.

And likely to be the source of more pain than the offensive injury. In short, _irresistible_.

Sebastian had no idea where his body found any more adrenaline, but as he climbed the stairs towards Jim it felt like a bucket of it had been dumped into him.

“I didn't know I was supposed to radio in every little scratch the moment it happened…”

Except he _did_ know.

Controlling little fucker... of course Sebastian would never breathe a word about how hot that was too...

“It's just a nick, and it's been taken care of…”

~

Jim watched incensed as Sebastian proceeded to ignore his demand and call in their orders. As Sebastian walked upstairs with a cocky smile, Jim's scowl grew blacker like the sky darkening before a storm. 

“ _Oh_... You didn’t know that you should share all relevant information with me about your mission...” he said softly, and nodded. “Makes sense... And of course you should wait until after pizza is ordered to fill me in on the details. I apologize for second guessing you, Sebastian.”

As soon as Sebastian was within reaching distance, Jim’s hand snaked out and grabbed the back of his neck. With an iron grip, he pulled him closer so there were mere inches between them.

“How silly of me to set the parameters for my own employees,” he crooned. “How demanding of me to expect that you of all people follow basic instructions!”

Jim’s other hand stroked Sebastian’s face gently. “Take off the fucking shirt, darling. And tell me exactly how you were wounded. In the most excruciating detail - so I can imagine I was there as someone decided they could damage my property.”

His face grew even closer to Sebastian’s, and his hand cupped his jaw. “Would you _mind_ telling your silly boss a story right the fuck now? Or would you rather play Xbox and unwind for a bit first, honey?”

~

“Job's done.” Sebastian shrugged one shoulder. “I've been told on good authority that's all that's relevant?”

As in… _'Sebastian, please use your brain – such as there is – and spare me the tedious details'_ \- except on occasion when Jim _wanted_ to hear all of them.

Of course Sebastian knew Jim was not a fan of having his words quoted back at him. But it was one of those days when the unnerving, erratic contradictions the man seemed to consist of was annoying _the fuck_ out of him…

He walked towards Jim, closer... closer... and then there was the rush of another contradiction – a hand curling slowly, tightly, around the back of his neck, and fingers stroking down his cheek with an almost eerie gentleness. And what should have been chilling made all of Sebastian's irritation, pain and exhaustion recede briefly, because he was _home_ , with Jim. For a moment he allowed himself to simply breathe him in – sinfully expensive bodywash, damp hair, warm skin… a touch of madness.

Sharp nails dug into his neck impatiently.

“I never play Xbox, although I appreciate the gift... But since you’re asking,” Sebastian said with a smirk, “a cigarette and a beer would be nice.”

The exhilarating danger of exchanging jibes with a man who was as lethal as he was unpredictable had become such a drug to Sebastian that he'd stopped trying to analyse it a long time ago. But he did watch out for signs telling him when he was about to embark on a trip that might be too much, even for him.

~

Jim regarded Sebastian for a long moment.

He unhooked his nails from his soldier’s neck, moved his hands to the front of his shirt. Then he tore at the fabric until the shirt was rent in two.

Pushing back the shirt, he assessed the damage to Sebastian’s flesh.

He laughed softly to himself, then unleashed a glare at Sebastian that he was pleased to see made his blue eyes widen.

“Bathroom,” Jim snarled. “I won’t say it twice.”

He pulled the shirt off him with a snap, and threw it over the staircase. Then he turned on his heel and stalked towards the bathroom.

Once inside, he pulled out the medical kit, muttering. When Sebastian appeared, Jim closed the lid of the toilet with a bang, gesturing at him to sit. He obeyed, and Jim leaned in to remove the bandage and look at the wound. Then he grabbed a flannel from one of the shelves, and held it under hot water.

He pressed it against the wound, enjoying the sharp intake of breath.

“You don’t get my customary gentle touch today,” he snapped. “You’re lucky you don’t end up in pieces... although I did consider it. Now. Tell me the bloody story, and I’ll _stop_. Considering. It.”

Jim looked up at Sebastian as he washed away the dried blood from around the wound.

“I’m waiting...” he sang in a voice that he was pleased to hear sounded like something from a horror film - the kind that reached into the dark abyss where people stuffed all their terror... then waited stricken with fear as they sensed something slowly slithering out of the wet, inky darkness.

~

The instinctive reaction of bracing himself when Jim grabbed and tore the shirt sent a flash of pain down Sebastian's side. The screeching protest of ripping fabric turned the discomfort into a dizzying thrill.

He managed the few steps into the bathroom seemingly unaffected, sitting down as ordered.

After Jim had removed the makeshift bandage and turned around to rummage through the cabinet, Sebastian cautiously glanced down at the cut. Embedded cotton fibres were merely the icing on the cake…Fresh blood was seeping into the flaky crusts around the edges, and it felt like a hair's breath away from a frigging gut injury. It needed cleaning and it needed stitches, but he had been fully prepared to deal with it himself, sneaking the whole incident past Jim… who, traitorous bloodstain aside, had probably caught the difference in Sebastian’s movements from the moment he'd set eyes on him.

With a sharp hiss Sebastian flinched when a wet towel was pressed hard against the wound.

“ _Fuckssake_...” Clenching his jaw, Sebastian bit back the rest of the filthy curse. He'd learned early on that Jim's care had a precarious edge between tenderness and cruelty, from which it could tip over to either side without warning.

Jim glanced up at him – and it was like looking into cauldrons of seething darkness, with shadowy things rising from the depths, circling, about to break the surface. Sebastian had gotten a glimpse of them every now and then - it was always bone chilling, because the threat of being left in bloody pieces in their wake was _anything bu_ t metaphorical.

There was a feeling of icy shards lumping together in his stomach… but through this sensation snaked the red-hot threads of perverse desire for _exactly_ that danger. He couldn't tear his eyes from Jim's when the madness arose…

Between them, pain, blood and injury had always been something as primal and intimate as sex - in fact, one seemed almost impossible without the other. Sebastian's promiscuous ways had been over the day Jim had claimed him. And it wasn't always entirely possible to avoid Jim’s seductive approach to violence…

Sebastian stifled a gasp at a particularly vicious swipe of the cloth, then the corner of his mouth twitched.

“Jealous?” he whispered.

~

Jim began irrigating the wound with a syringe filled with disinfectant. He looked up and tilted his head as if he’d heard something fascinating.

“Jealous? Because someone else slid a knife into you?” he said in a silky voice, and put the syringe down. “Oh, sweetheart... Why should I be _jealous_... when I could cause any amount of damage I like to this beautiful body?” he said in a low purring voice. Then he took the needle and jabbed it through Sebastian’s skin where the wound began, making Sebastian jump and suck in his breath.

~

With a bitten-off grunt Sebastian did his best to keep still. He was sure that Jim was enjoying being extra _thorough_ cleaning the wound. Sebastian had lifted his left arm and gripped the towel rail to give Jim better access while he worked and talked - his words artfully accentuated by the stitches, quite _pointedly_ on occasion.

“God, I _love_ when you talk dirty to me,” Sebastian muttered under his breath, before it caught at a particularly vicious stab of the needle. The threat in Jim's voice was so sweet and ominous _…_ And yes, he knew he was pushing it by letting Jim repeat himself three times… But the question as to who had done this _was_ a bit superfluous, wasn't it?

~

“ _As I was saying_... can anyone else do whatever they like to you? No. Then _why the fuck_ would I be jealous? What I am is _angry_... that someone decided they could mark up my property.” Once again he jabbed the needle in, and pulled through the other side.

“ _Angry_ that you still haven’t told me who did this to you...” he said softly, as he put in another stitch.

“ _Angry_ that I’ve had to ask for a bedtime story _three fucking times_...” he said in a dangerously soft voice as he placed another stitch.

As a couple more were added, Jim looked him square in the eye. “So _in conclusion_...”

He reared back and slapped Sebastian hard across the face. Then he finished tying off the thread, and pulled the needle out.

“I expect misbehaviour from miscreants who don’t know any better,” he drawled. “But I expect more from my second. I _demand_ more from my second. And I am very harsh with my second when my expectations _aren’t met_.”

He threw the needle across the counter, then grabbed the back of Sebastian’s head and pulled him into a hard kiss. After a moment, he pulled back slightly and whispered against Sebastian’s lips. “Now _tell me a story_ , Tiger... don’t keep me waiting a moment longer…”

~

The blow almost knocked his head back against the tiles, rattling his teeth. Jim returned leisurely to his work, snipped off the ends of the suture and threw his tools away. Sebastian’s tongue prodded the corner of his mouth, twisting into a slight smirk.

“'s good to be home...”

Standing up he felt a bit light-headed. He realized he was rather filthy, after a whole night of waiting, an early morning kill, and a zigzag of counter-surveillance moves to reach one of their safehouses.

But if he didn't want to end this day bleeding out in the tub, it felt like an opportune moment to do as he had been asked repeatedly.

“It was the bloke you'd sent me to kill, _of course_... who the hell do you think it was, a random stranger? Target didn't have any pattern to speak of, being a spook I reckon. Except never coming home before midnight.”

The man had been one of Mycroft's bunch… and Mycroft Holmes had lately seemed less and less inclined to keep to his turf – or rather, away from Jim's web.

“So I got inside early last night, via roof and second floor balcony.” – no CCTV, no street lights, no need to disable the alarm.

Sebastian made a vague 'permission to shower' gesture and unceremoniously dropped his trousers. Somewhat more gingerly, the rest of his clothes came off before turning on the water.

“It must have been around five o'clock before the fucker finally showed up...” Sebastian fiddled with the newfangled dials of the shower that never ceased to vex him. As the warm spray streamed over him, he basked for a few moments, head down, eyes closed. “Probably smelled a rat as soon as he realised the power was out... He bolted, made it to the kitchen, and got his hands on a knife...”

But the knife was _not_ what had levelled the playing field and turned a leisurely kill into a dirty, desperate fight... Sebastian let out a resigned breath, reaching for the shampoo.

“Then I tripped over his fucking _cat_...” He opened the bottle then squeezed it as if wringing a neck.

~

Jim listened carefully as he recounted the incident, becoming momentarily distracted only when Sebastian started shedding clothing.

Keeping his face neutral, he marvelled at the masculine beauty of Sebastian’s body.

Fuck, he thought. He still wasn’t used to the shock of chemicals flooding his system when Sebastian got naked –

or swaggered into a room –

or roughed someone up, his eyes lighting up at the thrill of violence –

or gave Jim one of his trademark smirks with a cigarette hanging out the side of his mouth-

…

 _Jesus_. Isn’t physical attraction supposed to lessen, he thought, appalled with himself. Instead he was finding it difficult to focus as Sebastian stood under the spray of warm water. Luckily the detail about the cat jarred him from his reverie - it would have been ridiculous to ask for the story to be repeated, when it took three demands to get it from his soldier in the first place.

But this only would have been awkward in the hands of a lesser man... Jim _of course_ would have just made it seem like Sebastian was being punished for his reticence by having to tell the story yet again...

Instead he found himself sniggering uncontrollably.

“Do you mean to tell me - the second most dangerous man in London got himself _stabbed_ because he tripped over a sweet little kitty?”

Jim leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. ”Oh _Sebbie_. That’s just _embarrassing_ , darling...” he sniffed. Then he dissolved into laughter again, bending over at the waist and covering his mouth.

“Not _that_ funny,” Sebastian muttered, shooting him a look before rubbing shampoo into his hair.

“Oh it is,” Jim assured him, trying to catch his breath. “It really _is_... oh, darling. You’re always good for a laugh, among other things...”

~

Jim in stitches was just as good as Jim in a fury - and honestly, Sebastian didn't mind deliberately providing the reason for either. Anything was better than the rare, disconcerting occasions when Jim retracted so deeply into himself that Sebastian might as well be wandering around the flat fucking _invisible_...

“But I did get my revenge, didn't I?” Thanks to Jim's order for this hit to send a firm message to Meddling Mycroft. “Know how the Romans were able to read prophesies from the entrails of chickens? Maybe the Holmeses can too...” Sebastian's teeth bared in a satisfied grin. “Didn't even have to waste a perfectly good chicken...”

~

“Mmm… very good…” Jim murmured, as his eyes flickered over his soldier’s wet, naked body. He should really implement that plan to stop engaging in so much sexual activity with Sebastian - he had just assumed it would peter out after a few months, and they’d return to a mostly professional relationship.

 _Yes_... really must put a stop to this, he thought, annoyed. As well as all the playful banter. And sleeping in the same bed. Jim cringed inwardly. It really was out of control - how had he let it get this far?

Go to your office and ignore him the rest of the evening, he ordered himself. _Do it_.

Instead he found himself loosening the towel around his waist. Sebastian’s eyes opened as if sensing something. He watched hungrily as Jim’s towel slithered to the floor... Jim stepped over it and into the shower, then pushed Sebastian against the wall.

~

Sebastian’s grin widened when he caught a glimpse of Jim approaching, towel sliding off his hips. Something between a laugh and a growl rushed through Sebastian's teeth when Jim grabbed and pushed him against the wall. There were a multitude of triggers that heated things up between them very quickly – the horrific details of murder not even the most eccentric. God, any shrink would have a field day with them...

Not really trying to gauge how far he could go without being eviscerated himself, Sebastian slipped one arm around Jim's waist and thus fully into the torrent of the shower. Surely Jim wouldn't have stepped in if he'd minded the consequences? Slick hair ruined, designer body lotion down the drain...

As he pulled him closer into a fierce kiss Sebastian growled in wild delight.

~

None of this was planned - none of it.

If anything it interfered with this evening’s plans, Jim thought, his hands tightening furiously in his soldier’s hair. He kissed Sebastian back in a haze of anger and horniness and yesss, burning desire for the tall, wet tower of muscle before him... with his stormy blue eyes and omnipresent smirk... whose hands were even now grasping him possessively. How many ways could he tell him, show him, drive it into his head, that he was not a thing to be possessed, or held, or contained. He was a fucking _elemental force_ \- he could topple buildings into a roiling sea, level entire cities, burn puny human after puny human in the molten lava of his rage... and _still_ Sebastian persisted in flirting and affection and constant longing...

Jim had thought they would settle into a routine, and all would be well. And _they had_... everything was going fecking swimmingly. But there was this undercurrent of being _pulled_ by Sebastian, like he always wanted more than Jim could-

He groaned at Sebastian’s assault on his lips and his body. Jim’s eyes closed as hands grasped his arse and his cock, while lips devoured his neck, god, it felt so fucking good... then his eyes flew open and he slammed Sebastian back against the shower wall. Sebastian’s head was then yanked back by the hair, and Jim pushed his face closer.

“Someone seems to be forgetting who’s in charge here...” he whispered, waving his finger in warning. His hand moved to Sebastian’s jaw, caressing it before pushing up firmly, and holding it in place.

“I’m not-“ Sebastian began.

“ _Shh shh shh_...” Jim interrupted. “Now is not the time for words, honey...” He pressed a line of kisses along Sebastian’s jaw.

“Nooo, the time for words is long past. I’ve already heard enough from you... pretty little words like _talk dirty to me_ \- and _good to be home_ \- and-“ Jim tilted his head and whispered, “ _jeal-oouu-sss_...”

~

Sebastian could never truly forget who was in charge, because even on the rare occasion that it _seemed_ to be him... in truth it was always Jim because he _let_ him.

And yet in those delicious struggles Sebastian never knew which way the scales would tip, and he savoured the intoxicating little victories he could grab, just as much as the jarring reminders that they came his way by Jim's grace only...

As did all things… Any that _mattered,_ anyway.

Well, he'd learned to make the most of it when Jim let the reins slip a little - indulging his Tiger, and maybe even himself…

Jim moaned, lean muscles twitching and his erection hardening under Sebastian's greedy hands. He kissed him back feverishly and for a few glorious moments, Jim seemed to melt against him.

Then something snapped and shifted. Sebastian was slammed back against the wall so suddenly it drove a pained grunt out of his lungs - his defensive reflexes locked down in a mode of auto-correct, doing what they'd been conditioned to do when near Jim: _fuck all_. It was like a manual override operated exclusively by Jim…

Which was just one of many things Sebastian had learned, living-in with the unpredictable little psycho.

He'd learned to sense that most precarious of all lines which was as shifty as it was dangerous - one tiny slip across might land him in a minefield... all it took was a wrong word, or some gesture that was a bit too intimate…

Sometimes Jim simply ignored those things and let them slide, and sometimes he picked up on every single one of them - like now. Softly, furiously he hissed them into his ear while pushing Sebastian's head back against the tiles. The heated words ghosting over the taut skin of Sebastian's neck felt like an acid drip… interspersed with Jim's soft soothing kisses.

 _Contradictory_ little bastard..

Sebastian bit back a groan, adjusting his posture to ease the pull on his freshly stitched wound - just a slight tilt of his hips, pressing against Jim's. Uttering murmurs of agreement with every accusation levelled at him, he _did_ heed the advice to not breathe another word.

But as soon as Jim eased his grip, Sebastian jumped at the opening and they stumbled out of the shower, pushing, clawing, grasping each other. The marble counter was as good a piece of furniture as any other – they weren't picky – just a bit too cramped with Jim's hoard of beauty products. With the noise of glass crashing and exploding all across the floor, the steamy atmosphere turned into that of a fucking Damascene bathhouse.

Which, going by the expression on Jim's face appeared to be the last straw…

~

Jim considered pushing Sebastian down to his knees like he had done so many times before, so he could get his rocks off and then get back to work. But then he looked into Sebastian’s eyes - those burning blue skies always had the power to pull Jim into his orbit, and he found himself yanking him by the arm as he stepped out of the shower. They were kissing, grappling with each other as Sebastian backed him into the marble counter. Expensive little bottles and tubes fell over, and there was the telltale sound of smashing glass. Jim stared at Sebastian, furious - then he snapped, “Down. Bend over the jacuzzi.”

~

Eyes locked, they stared at each other, breathing heavily.

Playtime was over, time to redraw the lines...

Always an experience which Sebastian dreaded and needed and _craved_...

Staring back at Jim, lips slightly parting, he showed no inclination to follow the terse order for a several seconds.

When he saw the obsidian glint in Jim's eyes, he knew they were thinking of the same day, a year ago...

Post-concussion - Jim fully recovered, and redrawing lines…

After all, he had seen glimpses of James Moriarty _no one_ was supposed to see - and live.

Sebastian still was very much alive, but he vividly remembered the flashes of doubt when Jim had fucked him over the side of the jacuzzi back then. Which, unlike today, had been filled with water… and Sebastian's wrists cuffed behind his back...

In comparison, a few shards of glass on the floor seemed veritably _vanilla_ , and the possibility of lube almost like tenderness.

Although the bottle remained unopened for the moment and like the neatly folded towel it was a blatant hint that anyone's comfort but Jim's was not going to be a priority here. It never failed to have a weirdly twisted effect on Sebastian, proof of which was straining hard and damp against his belly before Jim had as much as touched him.

Fuck fuck _fuck-_

Closing his eyes, Sebastian hooked his elbows over the side of the tub to keep himself from leaning back as Jim settled down behind him, nudging his knees a bit further apart. Sebastian’s brain happily descended into a sluggish haze, through which Jim’s words permeated only in delayed fragments.

~

“I heard from a dear old friend today with some information for my little project... Irene Adler. You remember Irene, don’t you Sebby?” Jim asked innocently, then slid his hand over his arse... and began to finger Sebastian firmly and possessively.

~

Sebastian's stomach did a nauseated little flip and even with most of his blood otherwise engaged there was still enough left to make his ears burn. Jim's soft voice, gleefully purring, evoked yet another memory in Sebastian, that almost made his heart skip a beat...

He uttered something that was half moan, half curse - ' _bitch_ ' featuring very prominently.

How could he _not_ remember? Feeling like a deer in the headlights, or rather between two predators out for blood… And although at the time he'd sensed it hadn't been about _him_ as much as _the two of them_ , it had been terrifying and awful, and brainmeltingly _hot_.

By the burning sensation in his ears, he imagined they were now a rather deep shade of pink.

“So what about that little project involving that-“ his brain tried to keep functioning, and then signed off completely when two fingers breached him without much warning. He almost yelped.

“Fucking _hell,_ what happened to _one_ -” He pressed his forehead against the rim of the jacuzzi, because suddenly there were _three_ …. He tried to relax with deep, slow breathing yet all he managed was short, ragged gasps through the sudden discomfort... which was laced with something else, just as good –- but no, Jim's fingers missed his prostate deliberately. He was clearly intent not on stimulation but merely opening him up for his own pleasure - and _that_ was a perverse kick in itself.

~

Jim noted the rosy tint of Sebastian’s ears at the mention of the night with Ms Adler. As he continued to finger his soldier into a state of intoxicated moaning, he leaned over his shoulder.

“I’ve always been amazed that someone who has been to war, who has killed and fucked more people than the average number of guests at a royal wedding, is still capable of _blushing_... Sebastian, it’s bloody adorable!” he cooed in his ear, as he stretched Sebastian further. “But I do hope this rosy glow is from the memory of being dominated until you were a helpless, moaning wreck, and not about the lady herself-?”

“What-? _Seriously_?” Sebastian muttered, his face stormy. 

“Am I prone to joking about these things, Moran?” Jim snapped. “Answer the fucking question!”

“Fuck! Of course not!” Sebastian snapped back. “And it was _your_. _Fucking. Idea_.”

“Ohhh... mind that fiery temper of yours, soldier...” Jim murmured in a silky voice, and licked the side of his neck up to his ear. “I was only asking because I need you to pick up a little something from the lady’s residence. If you don’t mind! That won’t be a temptation for you, will it?”

Jim withdrew his fingers suddenly, and Sebastian made a distressed sound in his throat.

“Fuck, no,” he groaned. “ _Nothing_ is a temptation...”

As Jim digested this, a smile spread slowly across his face. He positioned himself behind Sebastian quickly.

“Oh? And why is that, honey?” he murmured as he slicked himself up with lube. He nudged his cock against Sebastian’s opening, and pushed in partway.

“It really is _so_ sweet of you to say...” he said breathlessly. “Am I all you want, baby?” he whispered into his ear, and then plunged into him.

~

The memory of that night at Adler's inevitably had Sebastian's body - and the baser parts of his brain - react in a way that was vexingly obvious... But Jim teasing him about it sent a hot stab of rebellion through him – just as it had back then...

To submit to Jim was one thing, to bring a third person into that equation – a completely different ball game.

Whipped into a sublime state of submission, or taken there by merely a quiet word and the tone of Jim's voice – Sebastian went deep.

But it was _always Jim._

To say he felt safe with Jim would be the misunderstanding of the century - because you never did, and that was a fundamental part of the thrill – but in a way that would be beyond any sane person's grasp, Sebastian _trusted_ him. Trusted him with his life when he went under, trusted him to know just how far he could go…

Then again, occasionally Jim did _not_ stop there… so maybe the stark, naked truth was that Sebastian didn't have limits that Jim couldn't push even further...

The operative word being - _Jim_.

Him and that Adler woman conversing over his head like two master chefs talking shop over a piece of prime beef had been… Well - it had been the start of what would be any masochist’s wet dream. But it was also so deeply unsettling, that the mere memory of it still set his teeth on edge.

That night had been part of the game he and Irene Adler played, but Jim _knew_... what had gotten Sebastian through that memorable evening, had turned him into a shivering, groaning mess - for him it had still been _Jim_ asserting dominance… albeit by proxy. Like any implement Jim wielded – it was _always Jim_.

“Of course it's you-“ Sebastian's voice caught as he felt the blunt heat of Jim's cock pressing into him. He exhaled with a deep, raw sound of acquiescence.

Sparks of _pleasurepainelectricity_ rushed through his bones when the next push buried Jim's cock inside him... and then deeper still he went as he leaned forward, crooning possessive demands into Sebastian's ear.

“It's you...” Sebastian panted, sounding downright drunk. “ 'cause… there’s _no one_... like you..”

How on earth _could_ there be?

Sebastian _belonged_ to him, and it simply exceeded his power of imagination how he could not ever. Be. His.

How could he find anyone else even... _mildly interesting_?

But Jim knew all that too, didn't he?

It caused a strange warm glow in Sebastian's chest how sometimes Jim apparently _needed to hear it_ …

And just to prove _how much_ he needed it… sometimes Sebastian would let himself be almost ripped to shreds before he answered.

Not today though - one substantial hole in his hide was quite enough for one day.

He shifted position, relaxing the muscles pulling on the stitches, while clenching others with a groan… savouring the gasp from Jim's lips, still close behind his ear.

"My biggest _temptation,_ " he mumbled, "will be to snap Ms Adler's skinny neck..."

~

“Ohhh, that’s hardly chivalrous, darling,” Jim chided, grinning widely. Like he ever gave a flying fuck about such a thing... everyone had it coming one way or another, and everyone was on their own in this cold, unfeeling universe. Jim wasn’t about to go easy on anyone, no matter their gender, orientation, or bloody tragic identity issue _du jour_ \- because no one had fucking gone easy on _him_.

After all, he had grown up a poor, Irish, gay, and a genius...

with a tiny body and delicate elfin features to boot -

at the mercy of vicious forces constellating against him everywhere he turned -

in the form of alcoholism, abuse, a litany of mental health disorders, vicious homophobia, relentless bullying and violence....

where he came from there an open declaration of war on anyone different - and especially anyone _better_.

Jim had weathered bruises, broken bones, torment, and barely escaped annihilation by the skin of his teeth... then he built himself up from the leftover tattered scraps of his psyche to something more majestic and glorious than this cruel, sorry world had _ever_ seen…

Now he had his very own Empire - _magnificent things, Empires_ , he thought fondly.

And here he was, spectacularly pounding away at the arse of a fucking beautiful English soldier with an aristocratic pedigree, an impending lordship that he didn’t give a shit about...

who lived and breathed only for Jim, and would stop at nothing for him...

Idly he wondered if he should have Sebastian’s father killed, so he could have the unique pleasure of fucking a lord. Being fellated by a lord... _mmm_... The problem was, Sebastian was so defiant, so openly hostile to his upbringing and to his father, he would likely refuse the lordship outright - no matter how much amusement it would bring to Jim. So _selfish_ , he thought crossly, his nails digging into Sebastian’s hips. Jim then pushed against his prostate, making his soldier groan deliciously loudly.

“You will -not- snap - her neck - _darling_ ,” he growled as he pulsed into Sebastian breathlessly. “Until the pretty thing is no longer a useful tool to me. Then you can cut her into bits and throw her into the Thames for all I care...”

He turned Sebastian’s head and gazed at him as he continued to thrust into him.

“Why such animosity, honey? You certainly seemed... stimulated. Didn’t you enjoy giving me pleasure, Tiger?” He kissed Sebastian lightly, feeling his fondness for his Empire spill over to his second in command. In the cold light of day, he would normally have no use for such silly things as sentimentality, but... lately he had been suffering moments of weakness where he was overcome by the strangest urges to dole out affection, and show Sebastian he was appreciated... even though he recognized this to be a _terrible_ idea that would lead to all kinds of wretched problems.

He saw growing irritation on Sebastian’s face, and then - as Jim stared into his eyes in fascination, there was a softening of his features. He kissed Sebastian again, this time more deeply, while a ribbon of distress unwound through his body.

You’ll _spoil_ him, he thought with a heady mixture of fury and panic flooding his system. He moaned against Sebastian’s lips, and all thoughts fled his mind. All there was left to focus on was the thrusting of his cock into his soldier's shivering body, and their breathy gasps as they kissed and clutched at each other in desperation.

~

Between Sebastian's moans and heavy breaths there was a huff of indignant protest, laced with amusement. He _lived and breathed_ for Jim's pleasure, as they both knew.

Whatever Jim wanted, he got…

Whether Sebastian went along with enthusiasm and eagerness, or a twinge of doubt, or even defiance – in the end he always did as he was bid. The odd spell of mutiny only added to the thrill.

So Jim questioning his _dedication_ was surely idle banter? But with Jim, you never knew…

If Sebastian had thought that over time he'd learn to decipher Jim's moods or thoughts, now he knew better. Oh, he was more skilled by now than any other human being on earth, but still - it was like an attempt to assess deep-sea currents by trailing your hand through the water... always prepared for the sudden rising of dark forces that could bite through your fingers, or pull you under... 

But at the moment, Sebastian was beyond caring.

“You're _bloody impossible_...”

Sharp nails dug into his hips. He gasped as Jim hit that spot of exquisitely deep pleasure, unerringly with every single thrust. The veiled threat did _not_ escape Sebastian’s attention – that anyone who had outlived their usefulness was expendable. When Jim pulled Sebastian's head around, the light, almost tender kiss was such a contrast it nearly melted his brain.

Breathlessly they stared at each other, and for a moment Sebastian sensed that behind his sweet, faux-innocent gaze, Jim was caught in assessments of his own… Then his hips snapped forward again, and Sebastian, pinned against the tub, still managed to twist further around into the next kiss. Wrong fucking move for his injury, but by now the pain just added spice to the heady blaze of pleasure. He clawed at Jim, pulling him closer, pushing back against him, urging him on.

He arched his neck, intent on not missing a single sound or frantic breath against his skin. Of course, Jim's pleasure came first, and his own belonged to Jim, too – his to give or to withhold. Which was as equally frustrating as it was _hot_ …

~

Hmmm, thought Jim languorously, even as his pace and intensity increased. Should Tiger be denied an orgasm today? It was so funny how cranky he got, which only made Jim punish and torment him more.

 _It’s good to be King_ , he purred to himself with satisfaction, as he thought back on the occasions when Sebastian had gone without satisfaction... ohh, how he'd suffered for it...

Then another thought arose, cutting through the sexual haze and cruel daydreams. Sebastian was being sent to a dominatrix’s place of business - one whom he had extremely conflicted feelings about, for the most part in the negative. And in no way did he think she would be a temptation to his Tiger... far from it.

But to send him into a smugly purring lioness’s den, feeling all aflutter from being recently fucked, toyed with, and sexually frustrated by Jim... it would be the equivalent of a sexual Molotov cocktail being lit in his brain. And the only one who got to have _that_ effect on Sebastian was Jim.

So if anything, the solution was a hyper-intense experience that would leave him in a daze, so his mind would be sighing _JimJimJIM_ all the way there and back...

And _then_ he could punish him as he saw fit. Jim smiled to himself, and his hands curled around Sebastian’s hips possessively.

Jim changed his angle to nudge his prostate as he thrust into him - if Sebastian’s breathy moaning indicated anything, he was teetering on the brink... 

Jim leaned closer and licked his earlobe.

“Oh, I know you’re feeling some delicious friction against your cock...” Jim murmured. “But as it belongs to me, don’t even think about coming, Tiger...” He then pushed his hips against Sebastian’s to ensure even more intense friction. When Sebastian began to groan, Jim heard himself laugh with wild delight before he was swept away by waves of shuddering ecstasy... coming so hard, pulsing with pleasure into Sebastian's warm, hard body... 

Shivering and breathing raggedly, he collapsed against his Tiger. As much as it was his natural inclination to lie around in indolence and tease Sebastian, he knew he had an important task to complete. He pulled out and Sebastian sucked in his breath.

 _My sensitive darling_ , he thought. Jim pushed at his shoulder.

“Lie on the floor, Tiger...” he panted. Sebastian turned, panting. He raised his eyebrows questioningly.

“Don’t make me say it twice,” Jim drawled and pushed him down. Looking down at him lazily for a long moment, he dove onto Sebastian’s cock and began to suck him in a fury.

There’s only one person who my Tiger makes these noises for, he thought as he imagined Irene Adler shrinking back from him in horror.

_Know your place, bitch._

~

There were sounds Jim drew from him, which Sebastian - when in his right mind – would forever deny making... Like the blend of a purr and a helpless whine he uttered now, when Jim huskily reminded him of his place, while licking his ear. Jim possessed a thousand ways to combine cruelty with tenderness and the other way round... He could make Sebastian's very bones feel like they were dissolving in a puddle of lust - or aching as though made of cracking glass.

As ordered, Sebastian ceased his attempts to rut against the side of the tub - not very effective, anyway. Instead he rocked back against Jim, anticipating a reprimand for that too. Yet what he got was a heady, breathy laugh and quicker, harder thrusts - Jim on a no-holds-barred chase of his own pleasure - slamming into him and then... that tense, shivering moment of release –

Sebastian inevitably was swept along and left behind at the same time... groaning, thighs trembling, and still painfully hard, he was barely able to savour that exquisite sensation of Jim slumping against his back, exhausted, still inside him, sated... That sweet, intimate reprieve, now cut short by Jim pulling back almost brusquely, his weight disappearing, his voice strangely muffled under the roar of the blood in Sebastian's ears.

 _Down_ \- while it took a conscious effort to unclench his hands from the rim of the jacuzzi, his knees almost buckled and slipped on the tiles, as if they followed the order on their own accord. His brain went offline altogether when Jim settled down between his legs and -

” _Jesus_ -

Fucking -

 _Christ_ -"

His hips jerked while his hands desperately clutched wet dishevelled strands of Jim's hair... Holy _fuck -_ if this was redress for getting stabbed... he would gladly get into a knife fight _any day…_

Another flash of pain in his side and a soft warning growl from Jim brought Sebastian back to his senses just enough to take his hands away from his hair…

God, if this was just another tease…. the thought brought Sebastian to the end of his tether.

“You do know, don’t you,” he panted, “that I will _kill_ you if you stop?”

Only a playful threat... if Jim killed him for that, well - it would be a glorious way to go.

For now Jim merely retaliated with a firm swipe of his tongue over a _particularly_ sensitive spot. And for the time being, Sebastian lost the capability to form words at all.

~

Sebastian’s responses were hot, beautiful, and over the top as always... and even included a cute little threat?

Oh, darling... getting _comfortable_ , are we? I’ll be sure to do something about _that_ , he thought with a vicious thrill.

He began to increase speed and intensity as he sucked his hard, twitching cock. Sebastian’s eyes were closed, his head had fallen back, and he was making desperate gasping noises as his body jerked wildly.

“Come, Tiger...” Jim whispered, and was answered by a strangled shout and breathy moaning.

Good Lord, he thought. It always amazed him at how delightfully well it worked to deny someone something they longed for, and then bestow it upon them unexpectedly. The overwhelming, intoxicating thrill it created... all beautifully and indelibly associated with the bestower... it was a treasure whose worth couldn’t be measured in gold.

Remember that, _Ms Adler_ , he thought, with narrowed eyes. You collect _coins_ for your efforts... coins, and a stream of rich, horny clients and bedmates. How perfectly common...

Jim, on the other hand, was not interested in collecting anything common or _ordinary_. He had done what should have been impossible- tamed a wild beast, the only known one of its kind –

an aristocratic lord-to-be who had gone rogue...

who gathered skills of destruction, killing and covert ops amongst the finest elite soldiers...

then translated those skills into becoming the best assassin Jim had ever encountered.

The ultimate player who couldn’t be contained by a mere relationship, and preferred to stalk through the world free and unhindered...

And Jim had taken this majestic _Tiger_ , and forged him into his own personal weapon and plaything.

This is what he was thinking as Sebastian came hard, shuddering and gasping for dear life, and then pouring his pleasure down Jim’s throat.

 _Mine_ , Jim thought with satisfaction, as his fingers flexed from paws to claws on Sebastian’s thighs, and back again.

He lifted his head, and delicately pressed a knuckle to the corner of his mouth.

“Oh, I _do_ hope you enjoyed that, honey...” he said in a rough purr, and moved up to Sebastian’s head. “If it had you growling threats... it must have been spectacular...”

He trailed a finger over Sebastian’s cheekbone, making him shiver. “Don’t worry, Tiger... such a thing won’t go unanswered. Not for long…”

~

He sometimes wondered what thrilled Jim more – the physical pleasure of whatever he was doing to Sebastian, or the power to completely, utterly take him apart...

To drive him towards the edge, watch him teetering there, finally flicking him over, or... _denying_ him.

What had started out as a rule – no orgasm unless Jim allowed it - had turned into a law of nature Sebastian lived by.

Jim's decision could arrive with sinfully beautiful timing...

Or with delay after delay, driven by his wildly fluctuating moods…

Or on occasion, with utter deviousness as he made sure Sebastian _couldn't_ comply with the rule...

And oh the consequences were terrifyingagonising s u b l i m e...

Today Jim led him to that roaring, blinding rush of heat and lust - not halting him at the brink, or wrenching him back, but whispering permission...

And, body arching off the floor, hips jerking, Sebastian felt it tear through him and out of him with a shout… Jim, mouth around his cock, nails digging into his flesh, devouring wave after wave of pleasure…

It was gorgeous and painful and _perfect_

as the end

of

the

world.

Feeling on the verge of passing out, the last aftershocks still trembling through him, Sebastian managed to crack his eyelids open. Jim sat before him, pleased as a feline.

Then he crept forwards, leaning over him, hair an unruly mess. His lips were slightly swollen and so sensuous that Sebastian wanted to kiss them – but for the moment he couldn't lift as much as finger, let alone his head. With a deep, still somewhat shaky sigh, he let his eyelids fall shut again, turning his face almost timidly into the light touch trailing over his skin.

For the time being he couldn't picture himself getting up off that floor ever again. Every bone in his body, every bruise and cut had started to send aching reminders, as he sank into the exhaustion that inevitably replaced the hormonal euphoria.

He felt like falling asleep here and now, and maybe he had, because it seemed like a hell of a short delivery time when the doorbell rang. He contemplated playing dead but his stomach growled audibly. Then his dressing gown landed in a heap on top of him.

“Would you mind getting that, Tiger?”

The little tyrant stood in the door, fully clothed, hair brushed - teeth too probably - looking down at him imperiously.

“God, can't you just fucking go yourself-“ Sebastian clamped his mouth shut, because he'd learned not to be deceived by the cheerful lightness of Jim's voice when asking something that was definitely _not_ a question. And to be fair, that blowjob had been compensation enough for being treated appallingly for an entire week, never mind the rest of the day...

“'course I'll go, Boss…”

Stifling a groan, he picked up the gown and clambered to his feet. Pushing past Jim, he briefly slung an arm around his waist and kissed him hard on the mouth. Jim went stiff but before he could do anything else, Sebastian was already walking away with a grin.

"Add it to the list,” he suggested with a wave from the stairs. Fumbling with his dressing gown, he descended the steps to accept the delivery.

The second delivery arrived only minutes after the first, and Sebastian started to set the living room table.

God, the smell was mouth-watering… Sebastian retrieved the beer he had opened when he'd come home and drank the rest of it. Then he put Jim's beef teriyaki on a plate.

“So, when am I to go to Adler's to pick up your stuff?” he enquired while he transferred his pizza onto a plate as well, as Jim hovered behind him.

~

The moment Sebastian was off dealing with the delivery, Jim was left pacing in his bedroom - still for all intents and purposes _his_ bedroom... despite the fact that Sebastian had spent almost every night with him in his bed when he wasn’t on a mission... since he’d moved in a year ago! And every attempt Jim made to exile him into the guest bedroom - _his actual bedroom_ \- had been an epic failure...

and now... Sebastian was feeling free to _give him lip_... quite literally when he _kissed_ him...

Jim was a mastermind renowned for coming up with solutions to _impossible_ problems... and the one in his own bed continued to wreak havoc in his life. Even his games with the Ice Man and the Virgin had been plagued by detours, delays, and disasters... ever since his dalliance with Sebastian had begun.

_“Bloody. Travesty...”_ he muttered to himself. And _now_ \- he was finding himself _rattled_ by this ridiculous deal with Irene Adler - who was occasionally useful, but hardly a heavy hitter, no matter what she thought of herself...

Jim found himself staring at his own reflection in the mirror - the look of fury on his face shocked him out of this line of thinking. Instead he gazed at his own black, gleaming eyes in fascination - and his scowl slowly upturned into a chilling smile. He had nothing to worry about - but if he sensed something untoward when Sebastian returned, well. Both of them would cease to trouble him any longer.

He sailed downstairs, and was already checking messages by the time he arrived in the kitchen. Sebastian raised his head from serving up dinner, and said some words at him.

“Hm?” Jim looked distracted as he checked his phone. “Oh, _that_. Tonight, of course...”

He ignored Sebastian’s stunned expression, and nudged past him to sit in front of his plate of beef teriyaki and rice.

“Edamame? Miso?” he asked impatiently.

Sebastian blinked, and in a huff, dumped a container of edamame into a small bowl. Several beans went skittering across the table and Jim watched with mild interest.

“Perhaps a little more finesse with serving, Sebastian...” he remarked, leaning back in his chair. “I should hate to see what happens to the miso soup, otherwise…”

~

Sebastian was speechless.

He was supposed to _what_?!

Bloody Irene Adler's, _tonight_?

“You're not serious,” he said rather tonelessly, feeling the last vestiges of post-sexual bliss evaporate. With one short sentence Jim had turned the prospect of the rest of the evening from delightful to utterly infuriating.

To which, he could assure the little bastard, a few _spilled beans_ were a _very_ moderate reaction! Sebastian ignored them, gritting his teeth while he picked up the container with the soup. For a moment he seemed to contemplate what _could_ befall the soup before he dutifully transferred it into a bowl - extra slowly and carefully.

It seemed wise to choose his next words _equally carefully_.

“Can't that wait until tomorrow at least?” What the fuck could be so important Jim needed it tonight instead of tomorrow morning? Unless it was the simple joy of behaving deliberately like an utter prick?

Normally Sebastian would simply indulge him without question (or a small amount of grousing at best), but today – fucking _hell!_

He'd been on his feet for twenty-four hours straight, had fought and killed a man, had been stabbed, stitched back together, fucked senseless over the side of the tub and finally… _blown to oblivion_.

There was only so much one could fit into one day, wasn't there?! And up until a moment ago, all that remained on today’s agenda had been pizza, beer, and blissfully passing out.

Instead Jim had the _gall_ to send him out again, and not just on some errand, but to see that... uppity bitch he'd be happy to never meet again!

And with Jim presiding at the table waiting to be served, with a glint of glee in his eyes, Sebastian's irritation went from bubbling to seething. Fighting the urge to misuse the chopsticks, he unwrapped them and threw them down beside Jim's plate.

“And here I was, under the impression you had two hands of your own,” he muttered, plonking down a spoon for the soup as well. Then he grabbed a slice of his pizza although his appetite had just taken a spectacular nosedive.

~

“Oh darling... you’re so adorable when you pout...” Jim cooed, and neatly spooned up some soup into his mouth. “No, it _can’t_ wait until tomorrow. Because this project is too important to implement whenever it’s merely _convenient_. Do you see me stopping to rest, when there are pressing tasks to accomplish? Or eat? Or sleep?”

He split open a warm edamame shell, and began popping the little green soy beans into his mouth.

“Now as for Ms Adler, she has pertinent evidence that will allow us to easily sink our claws into a key official who’s the linchpin to this entire enterprise. And you think I should let such a valuable trinket stay for a minute longer than necessary with someone who has shown such a poverty of judgement in the past when it came to a certain clever detective...? Well in these cases, every hour counts... Consider yourself fortunate that you had the luxury of enough time for a shower and dinner and the pleasure of my cock. And a certain other little treat...” Jim helped himself to another spoonful of soup, letting his tongue dart out to capture every last drop. Then he dabbed the corner of his mouth with a linen napkin.

“Mmm. Such high-quality fare...” he smiled as Sebastian’s eyes glazed over, seemingly despite his best efforts to stay surly.

“Of course I’d prefer you were here resting after you’ve been wounded, my poor Tiger...” he breathed, reaching across the table to caress his cheek. He gazed up at Sebastian with doe eyes as he slowly stroked his skin. “My entire criminal career has been leading up to this project... and you’re an integral part of it. Do you think I would send _just anyone_ to collect something so pertinent to our plan?”

He removed his hand, and let it brush it against Sebastian’s hand on the table. He stared intently at Jim, barely moving.

 _Trying to read me, honey?_ Jim thought, and stifled a grin.

“She asked who I’d be sending, by the way... she didn’t mention you of course, but oh, she was thinking it! Curious about the lasting impression she left on the second most dangerous man in the world, since she can’t get her hooks into me...” he said silkily as he split open another edamame shell, and plucked out the beans, dropping them on his tongue one by one. “She believes her charms irresistible to _everyone_ \- especially you, now that she’s had a taste for you...” Jim sighed, and swiped up his glinting metal chopsticks. “What a _coup_ it would be to think you were secretly melting in her presence!”

He expertly snapped up a piece of beef teriyaki, and looked at it, feigning fascination. “A lamb dressed as a wolf loves to direct your attention to their teeth... and their sharp little claws. It’s adorable, really...” he drawled before touching his tongue to the morsel, and then ripping it from the chopsticks with his teeth.

After Sebastian had left, Jim sat in front of his laptop, staring at the screen without reading a word. There was a doubt in his mind which was so secret even he had barely thought about it since that fateful evening... and now it had surfaced with a vengeance.

He believed in his assessment of Madam Adler... but he didn’t know with 100% certainty if his soldier, technically bisexual, would perhaps be secretly affected by her charms after all. His nails dug into his palms at the mere thought and he stared at the grooves in his flesh now filling with blood. As he licked his palms and the taste of iron coated his tongue, images floated in his mind of what he might do when his wayward soldier returned home. 

~

Right. Not liking it any better, Sebastian _did_ get why this fucking errand couldn't wait a few hours.

“I don't _pout_ ,” he pointed out in a grumpy voice. Yet he was somewhat mollified by Jim giving him the _reasons_ – something he rarely bothered with - and also by this explanation containing 'we' and 'us'. Which of course coming from Jim could just as well be _pluralis majestatis_.

And yes, Sebastian knew full well how the little madman behaved when hatching big schemes… and it was _Sebastian_ who had to try to get him to eat and sleep, often at his own peril. And this wasn't just any scheme... The planning of this project, which included beating the Iceman and staying ahead of him and all the powers he had at his disposal, as well as his pesky little brother, seemed to have developed into an obsession, even by a psychopath's standards. Sebastian had started to have mixed feelings about it - however much he enjoyed the unparalleled thrill of being an ‘integral part of it’.

But even though he might be a bit slow, also by Jim’s standards, he saw clearly what Jim was doing now - praising him, knowing it was like catnip to him. Sebastian was torn between wanting to pull back from his touch in a huff, and leaning into it with a purr...

Well – at least Jim _was_ eating, although it was hard to say which he enjoyed more- his food or putting on a show. Sebastian watched in a daze as he practically fellated his food - savouring every visual detail he might have missed earlier, lying on the bathroom floor.

Then something Jim said jolted him out of his trance -

"She asked - _what?"_

Sebastian put his half-eaten pizza slice down. Jim's eyes narrowed slightly, then he languidly pressed his fingers into the flesh of another edamame bean, plucking out the insides... Sebastian sympathised deeply with the bean, knowing full well what it was like. He pushed his plate away.

“Well, there's a lot of things I'll be feeling in her presence,” he growled, “but _melting_ isn't one of them.”

Jim was right - Irene Adler might be one of a kind amongst her peers, a predator, even - but compared to Jim, she was like a naughty house cat.

He just simply wouldn't think of _that night_. Piece of cake.

“Well, since this is so pertinent a task – no point in dawdling,” he said curtly, pushing himself up and suppressing a wince. Fuck, he wanted this to get over with.

“Finish this,” he pointed at Jim's plate, "or I'll force-feed you when I come back.”

Half an hour later he pulled into the driveway of Ms. Adler's villa, got out of the car and walked towards the house – pristine and elegant, and as sinfully expensive as the woman herself.

The CCTV cameras were smartly hidden but the place was practically humming with them.

Carefully schooling his face into a neutral expression Sebastian pressed the doorbell. He raised his head and stared towards one of the lenses, looking utterly bored.


	2. That Uppity Bitch

Irene smiled as she stared at the CCTV screen. Oh, it _was_ him...

She was a tad surprised Moriarty would send his best man, but then - she had sensed that he was of two minds when they had their little play session with Sebastian. Something told her that Jim now had something to prove - most likely that he was _quite_ confident that he had nothing to worry about - not regarding Sebastian’s loyalty and not even when it came to what turned him on.

 _Goodness_... she’d been impressed with how masterfully he’d handled Sebastian in restraints, but this was a whole other level.

Well. He might very well be right, but it didn’t mean it wouldn’t be enjoyable nonetheless. Men liked to think they were in control, especially when it came to beautiful women. By the look on his face, she suspected he was going to feign being disaffected being back in her presence - certainly against his will, based on his demeanour towards her when the session had wrapped up – and that little _growl_ he’d directed her way before Jim snapped his fingers at him to indicate they were leaving.

She chuckled at the memory as she watched her servant usher Sebastian into her drawing room. He tersely said no to tea, and stood waiting in the middle of the room instead of sitting on the sofa.

Oh he was so _delightfully_ like a large dangerous animal, in restraints and out. She knew she had to tread carefully, but - she took far too much enjoyment out of precarious situations to let this pass her by. Otherwise, she would just give the flash drive to the maid to hand over to him.

But that would be such a _waste_... if this was the last time she laid eyes on this magnificent being that was the second most dangerous man in London, then she’d best make the most of it.

She smoothed her scarlet kimono over her hips, and rolled her shoulder so the fabric fell open and exposed her pale skin. Then she padded downstairs in bare feet, smiling brightly.

When she opened the door, she leaned back against the doorframe for just a moment - then she closed the door with a thump, and poured herself onto the sofa. She leaned back against the side of the sofa and swung her feet up to the armrest. The kimono fabric fell back from her legs when she crossed one over the other.

“Mr Moran! Lovely to see you again!” Irene said, satiny smooth. “I trust you’ve been well? And your partner?”

~

Fuck… there went his hopes of this going quickly and easily, Sebastian thought when he was shown into the luxurious living room by the maid. But then, he hadn't _really_ expected to just be handed the flash drive and be on his merry way, had he?

He declined the offer for tea and blithely ignored the one to sit down, shoving his hands into his pockets. The maid left and he passed the next few minutes habitually scanning the layout of the room. The wait was clearly designed to let him stew for a bit, and so the woman had him bristling with annoyance even before she appeared.

And then she did, looking as if she’d just come from her boudoir - wearing a bright, almost innocent smile the colour of blood. That’s where the similarities to that night ended. Today her hair was very loosely swept up, her lipstick-matching kimono even more... loose. Enticing, seductive, no longer the untouchable dominatrix - and draping herself over the sofa in a way that suggested almost the opposite. But she knew how to make an entrance and the mere sound of the door thumping shut was enough to remind Sebastian -

How he'd felt, stark naked in a room with two predators as they engaged in their little game...

How Jim had taken a back seat at first, watching...

How he'd kept him still with just a look amidst his light banter with their hostess. There was a glint in his eyes as he watched her too.

They both watched closely as she toyed with her silly little riding crop, slowly circling Sebastian...

assessing in a way that had made him feel furious, mortified and helplessly turned on...

then suddenly - shockingly - bringing him to his knees with just a sharp word and an even sharper lash across the back of his thighs...

_Fuck-_

Sebastian tore his eyes away from her creamy skin she so calculatingly displayed. Being aware of what she was doing was one thing, preventing a reaction to it – quite another. And it only bloody annoyed him further - mostly with himself. The fingers of his right hand twitched briefly, and they weren't his only parts itching for aggression - and her neck not the only desired place to inflict it upon.

'And be ci-vi-liiised, Sebbieee -' he could still hear Jim singing cheerily after him when he had put on his jacket and stormed out.

“Miss Adler.” He gave her a terse nod. All in all he managed to return her formal politeness quite smoothly, considering the circumstances under which she'd addressed him as _Sebastian._ Then there was the little issue of also referring to him as _'Seb_ '...' _him_ '... and in one moment, even ' _it_ '.

“I’m fine, thanks for asking. I trust you are too?” Her last sentence sank in with slight delay before he even grasped that she’d asked about… his _partner_?? A term so mundane and ordinary (and sweet), it caused a slight hitch in his brain, along with the impulse to laugh, and a sharp stab of something he didn't care to examine. Least of all _fucking now._

“My _boss_ ,” he said evenly, “is very well. He sent me to pick something up for him.”

As she bloody well knew. Her eyes glittered with amusement.

~

 _A hit_ , she thought with satisfaction. The stunned response, quickly stifled and replaced with irritation...

The _correction,_ delivered so tersely... Sebastian was all business today, she thought with a pout.

Well, she’d had him on his knees, naked and hard as a rock, _groaning_ with desperation... and you don’t get that far with a man without learning a thing or two about him along the way. He had been angry as hell during their play session, and even angrier to return tonight. And why else would he just do whatever Jim wanted, other than the secret burning inside of him like a glowing coal?

“Come now, Sebastian... don’t take offence. After all, we both have it within us to give powerful men what they truly need... don’t we. They start out desiring one thing... and by the end, they want what _we_ can lead them to. The fantasy they start with is an illusion, you see... and I’ll let you in on a little secret - all powerful men want to come undone and lose control. One way or another. It’s just a matter of whether they’ll Just. Let. Go.”

She swung her legs around, and leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees. Her cleavage pressed against her kimono.

“I could tell you how it’s done... if you like...” she murmured enticingly.

~

He _should_ have been prepared, and yet it had happened - _again_. The alluring shadows underneath the shifting silk of her kimono were terribly distracting, rendering some of his brain cells inoperative, while the rest struggled with that bizarre assumption she had expressed - that Jim Moriarty was like _anyone_ she had ever met.

That Jim fit into a _category_ , even one labelled 'all powerful men...'

That there could be _anything_ he secretly desired and didn't already have, or didn't know he wanted, until ‘someone’ showed him...

God, it was utterly ludicrous, and no one knew this better than Sebastian – which was why her words were hitting far too close to home...

That. _Bitch_.

“What an offer, Miss Adler,” he said softly, “And of course, _you_ would know, wouldn't you? Fuelling the most hidden desires of men, and catering to them so _masterfully_...”

He graced her with an ' _And I would know_ '-smile, full of teeth. “You scratch very special itches for money, and you lead them to where they finally, blissfully _let go_ \- of their wallets, and the odd state secret.”

Sebastian paused, slightly frowning as if pondering a question. “Why exactly would I be interested in anything from you?”

Sitting up on the sofa and leaning forward had brought her head and mouth to a very suggestive height, and Sebastian couldn't help but prowl into her space – just a bit too close for comfort.

~

Irene was very conscious of two things.

 _One_ \- Sebastian was painfully aware of her _charms_ , she thought with amusement. And it was causing him no end of conflict. Not just because of their past (clearly- _not_ -his-idea) session.

Poor baby... how long had it been since he’d been with a woman? Well, she was hardly offering herself up... but it was a rather significant part of her arsenal and she was more than happy to use any weapon to stay on top.

 _Two_ \- to that end, she needed to amend her previous statement - so that it was not clearly _not_ about Jim Moriarty... even though it obviously _was_. She loved games, but she was not borderline suicidal about playing them - certainly not with the man in front of her, currently seething at her implications.

“Oh, heavens! Don’t mistake me, Mr Moran...” she laughed breathily, placing a hand on his thigh. “You didn’t think I was referring to your employer, I hope! My word, I would never include Mr Moriarty in _any_ generalization... clearly he’s a category unto himself. This is just a friendly little exchange between professionals - should you ever find yourself in a certain position-“ Her dark red nails lightly squeezed his thigh, and she looked up at him through her lashes. “One where a powerful man is keeping you at arm’s length, so to speak... don’t you want to know the secret?”

Her lips parted, and she raised her chin. “I’ll give you a little hint... it’s not about giving them everything they want, dear. And it’s not about waiting around for them to suddenly realize their feelings.”

She rose suddenly and gracefully like a serpent. Now she was facing Sebastian, and well into his space. “ _Now_ are we interested... Sebastian?”

~

It was quite satisfactory to watch Mistress Adler backpedal when she realised she was in _very_ deep water. But you didn't become _The Woman_ by being easily rattled or intimidated…

The sensation of her hand on his thigh seared through him, even through clothing. She very blatantly used her formidable weapons, but the gesture was also instinctively defensive - which made the touch oh so different from how she'd laid hands on him back then, so teasingly and - _possessively_.

Standing up with a fluid movement she alleviated their height difference - somewhat - and held her ground. Sebastian didn't draw back either - he could smell her perfume, her very skin.

“Of course we're not talking about _him_ ,” he breathed, “just exchanging friendly advice. So let _me_ give you a tip, as well... from one professional to another." The corner of his mouth curled upwards. "The fastest way to _anyone's_ heart is between their fourth and fifth rib. Easily missed though in the heat of the moment, so the better spot is - here.“

She was so close he only had to raise his hand slightly to place two fingertips high on her abdomen, just beneath the arch of her ribs. “Thrust upwards, imagine aiming towards their left shoulder blade…”

He illustrated by an instant of increased pressure. “And any decent blade will reach the tip of the heart no problem.”

He leaned in, yet a bit more closely, adding the most intimate detail in a whisper: “You can _feel_ its last, desperate beats through the handle of your knife.”

Never taking his eyes away from hers, he saw her pupils widening and all the other little visceral reactions – and in anyone who wasn't a submissive masochist head case, that meant _fear_. Just a touch of it maybe, but enough to deeply satisfy Sebastian. He let his hand fall away, and, with a smile, took half a step back.

“Of course – farther than _arm's length_ , I'd use a gun,” he added amicably, like they were really just exchanging pleasantries. “So, let's hear your _suggestion_ then.”

~

Irene listened to Sebastian’s softly murmured description of how to stab someone in the heart with increasing horror and confusion. _Wait_ \- how had this gone so… _wrong?_

Her heart began to race. Was he... _threatening_ her? Surely, Jim wouldn’t allow-

not when she was such a valuable resource to him??

But... if he ever found anyone _like her_ who had her contacts and powers of manipulation, perhaps...

She stared at Sebastian intently as he prodded her abdomen, and stifled her wince. Then he stepped back, and - oh. Now he was making implications about _shooting_ her...?? Her heart pounded in response, and her skin began to grow cold at the sight of his eyes, glinting at the prospect of violence.

And just as she reached the apex of her fear, anger flashed through her like lightning.

‘No mistress worth her salt gets pushed around by a man, murderous or not’, she thought fiercely. ‘Stop this ridiculous trembling, _my Lady_... and do... what you... do best. _Now_.’

And the voice of the Dominatrix, which had allowed her to pluck fortune, notoriety, and power from the vine and sup sensuously of its fruit, quickly infiltrated her fear and paralysis. And she drew herself up haughtily, and gave Sebastian a knowing smile.

‘That’s right’, the voice of The Woman whispered to her. ‘Use everything at your disposal. After all... there’s _no one_ like you... and well Jim _knows it_.’

And he would _not_ have given carte blanche to his vicious pet to do as he liked - _not_ when there was so much he still needed for his project...

But it was certainly something to be extremely mindful of in the future.

“Oh dear... we seem to have gotten off rather on the wrong foot, Sebastian. And I had so hoped we could be friends...” she said with a slight pout. “I have no doubt you’re _very good_ at what you do... and your method would work - rather too well!”

She shook her head sadly, then crossed her arms and jutted out her hip. “But my love, if the end result you want is a powerful man intoxicated by you rather than dead and bloody at your feet... you _may_ need to expand your repertoire,” she said slyly. “Now - let’s just see...” she tilted her head to assess him, and a strange expression crossed his face.

“First things first, dearest. Desired outcome. You don’t _want_ someone wrapped around your finger, mmm...? No need for tender, romantic declarations of love, either... although you wouldn’t _turn it down_ , either... I wouldn’t rule out deep down romantic feelings for you... how _unexpected_ ,” she said with a delighted smile, clasping her hands together.

His eyes narrowed and when he opened his mouth to speak, she held up a finger, looking distracted.

“ _No interruptions_... now what _you_ want, my dear Sebastian... is what you _already have_ , just...” she moved her hand lightly through the air as if simultaneously stroking him, and trying to tease out the answer from his heart. “ _More_...” she breathed.

So deceptively simple... but everything was packed into that word... _everything_.

She gazed at him, and his previously cold blue eyes flashed with longing. So briefly, she nearly missed it - but it was there. A surge of triumph shot through her, and she shivered.

 _Direct hit, my dear,_ she thought, her skin tingling with pleasure.

~

Grudgingly, Sebastian had to give Irene credit for how she regained her footing fairly quickly- although not without difficulty, he observed with some smugness. But she'd certainly gotten it right this time - that, just like his boss, Sebastian Moran did not fit easily into any category she might be familiar with. That, unlike her _clients_ , he might be more than she could handle – at least without the presence of _the only one_ to whom the beast, currently prowling around her living room, submitted to...

The defensive crossing of her arms was yet another sight Sebastian was enjoying… although her blatantly evaluating gaze reminded him yet again of the night he'd been made to submit to _her too_ -

when her haughty cat's eyes had trailed across his skin, assessing how to best get _under_ it. And the bitch hadn't even needed a whip or a knife - her words sliced and pierced just as effectively, coming so close to the raw spot inside him that he wanted to snarl and lash out.

Now, as back then, he wanted to tear her to pieces to make her _stop_.

Just as he wanted to beg her to _go on_ …

Pride and fury prevented the latter.

But it was Jim who prevented the former.

_Fuck you Jim…_

Sebastian clenched his teeth when she honed in on his most sensitive spot with obvious and leisurely pleasure. Rolling his eyes and with a nonchalant 'if-this-is going-to-take-a-while' gesture he took his cigarettes from his pocket. He lit up, not asking permission.

Smoking, he prowled across the room like an ostentatiously bored tiger along the perimeter of his enclosure. He moved towards an ash tray on the mantelpiece, partly to prevent her from gauging too many of his reactions after she had cheerfully drilled so close to nerve and bone.

_More..._

Well, sometimes wanting _more_ just simply led to you _losing... everything_. And he’d know, as a gambler who rarely found any stakes too high.

But _these_ were.

He swallowed, flicking some ash into the tray. Then he turned around to the woman who had paused - waiting for confirmation of how _right_ she was? Well then, they'd be here a fucking long time…

“Interesting hypothesis,” he said, prompting her to go on with a raised eyebrow and a little twirl of his cigarette, before taking another pull.

~

She found herself laughing in delight at his response, and started circling the room as well.

“I’ll let you in on another secret - they’re _all_ just hypotheses, no matter how clever the lips that unleash them. After all, no one is omniscient, no matter what they would have you believe... or invulnerable, either.”

Her lips curled into a smile. “Appearances can be so deceiving, can’t they... Funny, I would have pegged you for a very different man. On paper, at least. But flesh and blood always tells a different story...”

She trailed her hand along the curtains as she moved gracefully and approached him. “But you already know all this, Sebastian. What you don’t know yet is how to make a powerful man _\- yours_. And the answer is simple, my dear...” She placed a hand on his bicep, and leaned in to murmur to him.

“Never make it all about a man and _his_ needs. Common mistake and amateur’s folly. If you want a man’s attention, _you_ have to have a gravitational pull. _Draw_ him to you... as I’m sure countless others have been drawn to you. You must know how beautiful you are, how masculine and magnetic...”

She placed her hand lightly against his ear and whispered. “Be the one to fascinate, Sebastian... Be the One he’ll _never_ forget...”

And with that she withdrew from him, and continued moving around the room. “What Mr Moriarty desires is right here in this flat... so let's see that you have what you require, Mr Moran...”

With a sly smile, she slipped out the door.

~

Her soft, sensual words snaked around him like honey, complemented by a few light touches, each and every one designed to flatter, layered with dual meaning. Oh yes, Irene Adler was a master of manipulation - as Sebastian was very aware, living with one himself. But he was also painfully aware that _knowing_ it didn't make one immune to their charms...

The gravitational pull _his_ universe had aligned to was Jim, but sometimes... _sometimes_ he remembered that time in their relationship when Jim had moved heaven and hell to make it happen - how he'd stabbed and drugged people, blown up clubs, and orchestrated his own _bloody kidnapping_ , resulting in several dead bodies, and a rather significant concussion...

And now the obnoxious woman in front of him managed to lay a little seedling of doubt - whether the feral Tiger Jim had felt so compelled to hunt and lure into a cage, hadn’t been more fascinating to him than the one who was now so devoted, and curled up at his feet...

Still dangerous, but _his_ now. Occasionally engaging in revolt, but basically _tamed_. 

His era of predatory promiscuity, picking off easy and admiring prey, was over - and he didn't even miss it. And yet, Irene Adler - of all people! - _reminded_ him.

As a means to get into his good books was a ridiculous notion - because for now it wasn't necessary, and as far as making provisions for the future, it was utterly useless.

Fuck. She'd already left the room when Sebastian realised he was still chewing on what she'd said to him. Just as in the aftermath of their ‘session’, he had been fixated on what she'd _done_ to him.

He took the ashtray and killed his cigarette with more force than necessary. When she returned, his poker face was fully in place.

Walking towards her he held out his hand, received the flash drive and slid it into his pocket.

A brief smile crossed his face. Maybe putting ludicrous notions regarding Jim Moriarty into his head was her devious way of ensuring Sebastian's untimely death - long before the day he might finally be dispatched to kill _her._

“It's been a pleasure…” he said drily. “As always.”

~

It wasn’t until she reached her office and closed the door behind her that Irene leaned against the wall and closed her eyes... and just... _breathed_.

Not that she hadn’t been in dangerous situations in her lifetime... far from it. But the thought of _violence_ \- unless administered recreationally by a woman against a restrained client, friend or lover - was utterly abhorrent to her.

And she could see in Sebastian Moran’s eyes and body language that he was not only intimately, sensuously acquainted with violence, but... he _loved_ it.

Loved violence as one would clasp to another in a heated embrace...

both as the recipient and the deliverer...

and this was not a world she wanted to be involved with, unless it was from a safe distance and gained her pots and pots of money, power and prestige.

Luckily, Sebastian Moran was on a short leash... it was clear from their first (and only) session together that regardless of whose hand held the whip, it was Jim in control of every move Sebastian made.

So for now she was safe... but that didn’t mean what she had seen in Sebastian’s eyes didn’t disturb her. It did.

Thank heavens she was able to fall back on her tried and true way to get out of a sticky situation. Disarming... by any means necessary.

And when she walked back into the parlour, with her kimono straightened and a pleasant professional smile on her face, Sebastian responded in kind - which was rather more than expected.

She felt a flutter in her heart. _Still got it_ , she thought, entranced as ever at how effective the power to disarm could be - even in keeping a pet Tiger at bay.

“The pleasure was mine, Mr Moran...” she said silkily. “Now run along and see to yours...” She raised an eyebrow, and her smile broadened. Then she nodded towards the door with a wink.

~

God, the bitch was as smooth as she was irritating… but Sebastian didn't rise to the bait again when she told him to run along like a good dog and follow his baser, animal instincts. Well, maybe she'd have the pleasure of experiencing them first hand one day.

He smiled when he took his leave. “Until I see you again, Ms Adler.”

Possibly through the scope of a rifle.

Outside in the hall her maid zoned in on him to escort him out of the house, obviously making sure he'd really leave.

“Kate, isn't it?” he said, when she opened the door for him. Her mistress outshone almost any woman near her, but Kate was an attractive woman in her own right. “May I ask you something?"

She stared at him, utterly perplexed before making a motion to point towards the door. “Mr Moran, I’m to escort you-”

“Just curious about something,” he cut her off, catching her wrist. Yes, he'd been right - he felt a thin leather strap above her wrist, underneath the loose fabric of her sleeve, which he pushed back with his thumb. There it was - a concealed knife. And – oh. He grinned. He knew a rope burn when he saw one.

“Maid _and_ security...” he mused. And whatever else - maybe lover, maybe just crash test dummy for some of the trickier bondage techniques?

“Versatile staff is _so_ hard to find - believe me, I know. I hope your mistress compensates you well, and appreciates you – for allll you do.” He let her go, prepared for possible physical retaliation - annoying security personnel was never a good idea. “But if not – you may want to ask for _more_.”

Walking down the front steps he pulled out his car keys. When he turned his head to glance back over his shoulder, she was positively glaring at him.

“Don't worry, I almost didn't catch it.” he said with a grin. Which meant, the chances that anyone else would were close to zero.

With Iron Maiden roaring from the car stereo full blast, he smiled the entire drive home.

~

For a while now, Jim had been doing a version of working - one in which he was distracted every few minutes by looking at the time, wondering what the fuck was happening, and why this was taking _so long -_ then forgetting what time it was, and having to check again. He played music from his Queen playlist, which rarely failed to soothe him. But today as he heard Freddie singing dreamily “It’s a kind of magic”, it felt like a slap in the face.

As for this bit, it couldn’t be any more off:

_The waiting seems eternity_

_The day will dawn of sanity_

_It's a kind of magic_

_There can be only one_

_This rage that lasts a thousand years_

_Will soon be gone_

_This flame that burns inside of me_

_I'm hearing secret harmonies_

There were no _secret harmonies_... no _flame burning inside of him._..

there was _plenty_ of rage and waiting... but no end in sight to either...

and certainly no _fecking_ magic to be found. It was the first time Freddie had failed him so spectacularly, and he hit the shuffle feature in annoyance. And the song that came up was one that had been playing during that fateful day... when he had taken Sebastian to Irene’s playroom, enjoying the thought of watching Sebastian dissolve at the attentions of two dominating forces...

but of course he’d underestimated his own jealous streak…

And now as he heard the song pulse in the room, he remembered...

Sebastian on his knees staring up at him, eyes wide.

_You are my angel_

_Come from way above to bring me love_

And then Irene had strutted towards him in her skintight leather corset and barely-there mini-skirt, and his eyes had swung to _her_.

_Her eyes, she's on the dark side_

_Neutralize every man in sight_

And as she hauled him up by the chin, and started strapping him to the wall, his eyes had returned to Jim.

_To love you, love you, love you_

_You are my angel_

_Come from way above_

They were staring at each other so intently, and Jim’s breath caught in his throat. He thought he might shatter from the intensity of the moment - and _then_ Irene had snapped at Sebastian, “Eyes on the Mistress, my dear,” and he had torn away his look from Jim like it caused him physical pain.

 _Bitch_ , he thought, his hands clenching.

So when the singer again started dreamily singing, _pleading_ , “To love you, love you, love you” it was _Irene_ that Sebastian was staring at... _not Jim_.

And he knew Sebastian didn’t even want to be there, and he was barely keeping his temper in check with Irene...

And he knew it was _his fucking idea_ in the first place...

And he knew if he wanted to put a stop to this _right now_ and snap at Irene to _get out_ and take over by himself, he _could_...

And he knew if he did, something _unspeakable_ would happen...

And he knew that this was unacceptable... and the best thing for it was to allow it to continue unfolding in front of his eyes...

As he watched Sebastian groaning at Irene’s attention with the whip... gasping as she teasingly stroked his cock... yelping as she stopped, and pinched his nipple... returning his gaze to Jim... then glaring at her murderously as she slapped his face sharply for the offence.

A faint smile rose to his lips at the thought. Had she been on the receiving end of his ire this time? Suddenly he was dying to find out... and to laugh as Sebastian regaled him with his story of Irene crying and running in terror from the room.

He sniggered at the prospect, then looked at the time.

Where the _fuck_ was Sebastian?? Jim swiped up a crystal statue of an a _dor_ able tiger he had bought for himself, and fingered the ears. His hand tightened around it, and he stared at the wall. No. He was in control. He was not going to have a meltdown over his _bodyguard_ running an _errand_. He heard the front door open, and he set the tiger down on the desk with a _thump_.

“About fucking time,” he snarled, clenching his fists and making a beeline for the door.

~

Sebastian entered the apartment with a light spring in his step, relieved it was over and actually quite pleased with how it had gone. The encounter with Irene hadn't failed to leave him in some turmoil - but also with a feeling that he'd been able to get his own back.

Divesting himself of boots and jacket, he heard the study door fly open so violently it banged against the wall.

Sebastian turned, taking in the expression on Jim's face. To the same degree his own mood had improved since he'd left, Jim's seemed to have taken the opposite direction. He was seething in a way that _screamed_ to tread carefully.  
  


“Christ, what's happened?” Something absolutely infuriating by the looks of it…

“The deal with the Chinese fell though?”

No response.

Sebastian tried again. “Mycroft? _Sherlock_?” 

~

“Fuck Mycroft and Sherlock,” Jim growled softly, and took a step down.

“The deal with the Chinese went perfectly,” he continued, narrowing his eyes as he took another step down. Why did Sebastian look so... relaxed? He had been expecting a rather more surly mood, under the circumstances.

“Did you get what I asked for, Sebastian?” he said in a low, dangerous purr.

 _Step_.

“How was your _visit_ with Ms Adler?”

 _Step_.

“Don’t be shy, honey... tell me e-e-everything...” he drawled, feeling his eyes gleam as he continued to descend the stairs.

~

Jim stalked down the stairs towards him, his smooth tone not hiding his foul mood - whatever the hell had triggered it. But if Sebastian hadn't learned to take an irritated little maniac in his stride by now, he'd be in constant adrenaline overload. Which didn't mean he wasn't on his guard…

So - not the Holmes boys, and not the Chinese.

“Good.”

Jim had almost arrived at the foot of the stairs, and Sebastian pulled the flash drive from his pocket.

“'Course I did.” He flicked it over to Jim, who snatched it out of the air.

“It went quite well, actually. She was far more... _easygoing_ than the last time we met.” A touch of sarcasm crept into his voice.

His response didn't seem to satisfy Jim's request to hear e-e-everything, so he added, “We had a nice chat.”

~

“Oh goody... I’m _glad_ you had a nice chat,” Jim said pleasantly, moving towards him. “Let me guess - Reenie discussed the ups and downs of a career as a scheming dominatrix, and you told your very best assassin stories...”

A couple of paces away from him, he stopped and looked at Sebastian with a curious look on his face.

“And then... you had tea and coffee cake in the parlour... it was _delicious_. You asked for the recipe and she playfully refused to divulge Auntie Meredith’s prize-winning recipe.”

He took another step closer.

“And then - she asked you to move a dresser in her bedroom - because it’s _so heavy_ , Sebastian... and you’re such a big strong man...” he pouted. “But afterwards to thank you, she gave you a lovely massage with coconut oil and asked you about your dreams, and isn’t it wonderful when friends do nice things for each other, Sebastian?”

He closed the distance between them. Standing directly before him and looking up, Jim’s face nearly touched Sebastian’s.

“ _And then_...” he said seductively. “You _told me what I asked_ , because you know how _funny_ it is when I have to ask something twice...”

He cupped Sebastian’s cheek, stroking gently with his thumb. “Are you trying to be funny, my honey?”

~

“Oh, I'd _never_...” Sebastian said flatly, barely keeping a straight face during that volley of ridiculous guesses. Dear God, Jim was on a roll… and it _was_ funny, but Sebastian wasn't fooled into believing it was meant to be. Or that the deceivingly gentle touch wasn't a threat of something else entirely. He was on very thin ice, but with a flash of anger he realised that for today he was absolutely _done_ with placating Jim’s abrasive moods.

“Why, yes - we did exchange some advice, from one professional to another, and she seemed quite impressed by mine," he said smugly.

Jim's breath ghosted over his face, the very air between them thick with tension. Sebastian didn't flinch, but gazed back with wide-eyed innocence.

“But since you know everything _already_ , why do you ask?”

~

Jim’s mouth dropped open, and he quickly arranged his features into a comically shocked expression.

“Ohhh, Tiger!” he crowed. “It certainly _seems_ like you’re trying to be funny... otherwise, one would have to conclude that you were being purposefully difficult... defiant... and completely _mental_...” he shouted.

Exhaling slowly, he looked down for a moment and composed his face into neutral mode. Then slowly he raised his eyes.

“Think carefully, Sebastian...” he said in a soft silky voice. “I encourage you to consider what lies at the end of the two paths that lie before you... Do you _want_ to be difficult...” He tilted his head, and smiled mischievously. Then his hand snaked forward and he grabbed Sebastian by the throat.

“Or do you want to answer the fucking question?” he hissed.

~

Even being familiar with the blood-curdling display of Jim sliding from a crooning singsong - to suddenly screaming - and back to a menacing purr, it never quite lost its shock and awe effect. It usually left every person possessing even an ounce of common sense cowering in fear, but - common sense was the last thing that caused one to shack up with a psychopathic madman...

“Well, I already _did_ , didn't I?” Sebastian snarled back. He removed Jim's hand from his throat, harshly digging his fingers into tendons and pressure points.

“And I don't know what’s crawled up _your_ arse and died,” he hissed, “but remember, _you_ sent me there! I got your bloody flash drive, what more the fuck do you want?! A few juicy details? A _funny_ story of how I trashed her parlour or pissed on her oriental rug? Or how it _felt_ to be back?”

Something curled up hot and tight in his stomach – it was almost nauseating. Something had stirred there from Jim's first mention of Irene Adler earlier this evening, but Sebastian's mind had refused to go near it - the most disturbing, torturous memory of _that night_. Which ironically had less to do with the bitch herself or what she'd done, but more with – Jim.

With what _Jim_ had done.

Or rather - _not_ done.

Sebastian realised that being back at Adler's on his own, he hadn't felt half as lost and helpless as back then, when Jim had thrown him into that twisted scenario and then… _abandoned_ him without even leaving the room.

“Sorry there's nothing more to report for your entertainment,” he spat. “You told me to be ci-vi-liiized,” his imitation of Jim's voice was scathingly accurate, before falling back into a growl, “and that's exactly what I did, so piss off!”

~

Jim hardened his features to not show the surprise he felt as his hand was grabbed and thrown away from Sebastian’s throat... and as he listened to Sebastian’s angry retorts.

There was a part of him buried so deep that heard something else underneath the anger... but Jim was growing more incensed by the moment, and was not well-versed in listening to anything resembling a conscience on a _good_ day... let alone today!

When he’d _already had to wait_...

wondering what the fuck Sebastian was doing, and what was going through his mind...

and then when finally returned, being so... so... _stubborn_ and _defiant_ like Jim had never seen.

Well he wasn’t about to take such rebellion lying down...

But obviously the usual methods weren’t going to work when he was in this _state_.

Well. Fine. Jim would adapt. And _happily_.

If Sebastian wasn’t going to be obedient, then Jim was going to drag the Tiger out by the tail.

Because if Jim was _this_ angry, he was either heading towards something truly cataclysmic, or... just a vicious little diversion.

A hint of a smile played on his lips. Then broke free.

And then he laughed uproariously. He laughed until he was bent over and crying.

He looked up to his soldier staring at him angrily.

“What is so fucking funny?” Sebastian growled.

“Oh... Tiger...” Jim chuckled, wiping his eyes. “Thank you for that. And of course you’re right... Sometimes mere words are not enough. Not for men like us, hmm...?”

The smile melted away from his face and as his lip curled into a sneer, he threw a savage punch at his soldier's mouth.

Sebastian recoiled, and stared back at him in furious shock as his lip dribbled blood onto his chin.

“Tiii-gerrr...” Jim called out loudly. “ _I_ decide when my entertainment is done, honey. But the time to be _civilized_ is long past...” And he launched himself at Sebastian, kicking at his knee before landing another punch hard against his cheekbone.

~

Following such an unprecedented insubordination on his part, a smile was the last thing Sebastian expected to see on Jim's face, let alone watching him dissolving in laughter. And although he knew that with Jim it was a dire mistake to go by expectations or assumptions, he just stared at him - before the sudden punch and the taste of blood restarted his reflexes.

They came quickly and not a moment too soon, as Jim flew at him like a haywire cat. A savage kick taking one knee out from under him, Sebastian wasn't able to block the second blow entirely. Vicious little bastard!

With a wordless shout of rage and pain, Sebastian went with the momentum. He caught Jim's arm with a two-handed grip. Pulling hard, he turned the attack into leverage, twisting his whole body in a move that made sure the little fucker went down _with_ him. And go down they did...

To the sound of splintering wood they crashed into a table. Sebastian dodged a wild blow, in turn catching Jim hard in the ribs with an elbow. Making the most of the brief advantage he followed through with a fist to the jaw - ‘civilised’ being a thing of the past indeed.

“Good!” Sebastian snarled, using his full weight to pin Jim down. “I thought you'd never ask!”

~

Jim fought like a hellion to keep from being pinned, elbowing Sebastian in the solar plexus and then slamming a fist against the side of his head. He watched with satisfaction as Sebastian gasped for breath for a couple of moments and then shook his head, looking dazed. By the time his soldier turned his livid face to him, Jim had sprung up and was staring down at him with a malevolent smirk.

“Who’s asking?” he snapped, all semblance of the smile sliding from his face. “When I _did_ ask a simple question, all you gave me was fucking deflection and attitude. What the _fuck_ are you hiding?”

He kicked out and made contact with Sebastian’s side, awfully close to the stab wound he had just carefully stitched a few hours ago.

“ _What. Juicy. Details. Sebastian!_ ” he demanded, his face twisting with fury.

~

For a few long moments Sebastian was completely severed from the ability to breathe. Before he could heave a gulp of air into his lungs, a nasty punch to the head sent flashes of light across his vision. A red fog of anger descended, blotting out any inclination to honour the demand Jim hurled at him with a reply...

They'd fought before, and _fair_ rarely featured in Jim's arsenal, but Sebastian had never seen him go off the rails like this. And that was _before_ a kick to his injured side took _dirty_ to a whole new level. With a pained grunt, Sebastian lashed out with one leg, swiping Jim's other foot off the ground. The resulting crash was divine – coffee table, wine glass, bottle, laptop and a bossy little fucker. Shut him up too…

For a brief instant he'd seen Jim's eyes, bright with fury, drunk on violence. Something inside Sebastian greeted it, roaring with exhilaration, _welcoming_ it…

He was back on his feet a fraction of a second before Jim, and hauled him out of the debris so forcefully he heard fabric ripping. Slamming Jim into the nearest wall, he stayed close enough to ward off a knee to his groin.

“You didn’t have a problem _before_ , with what happened between me and that uppity bitch," he panted. “Quite the opposite! Not _my_ fault you weren't there the second time! So you'll just have to _imagine_...”

Just in time he jerked his head away from the hand clawing at his eyes, but Jim’s nails still ripped burning lines down the side of his neck. Sebastian pushed one forearm across Jim's throat and wedged a knee between his legs.

“Maybe Ms Adler _likes_ to have the tables turned on her occasionally...” A smirk crossed Sebastian’s bloodied face, his voice dropping to a breathless purr.

“Hmm… _Don't we all_...”

The hard evidence was unmistakable as his body pressed against Jim's firmly and forcefully. 


End file.
